Maybe
by CountingWithStraws
Summary: "Maybe you could stay a bit longer, I could try a bit harder. We could make this work. But maybe we should stop pretending, we both know we're hurting. Maybe it's time to go." -Emeli Sande, Maybe.


Roxas rested his head against the windowpane and sighed, his breath fogging the glass. He could hear Axel in the room above him, packing up all his clothes. Axel's steps were heavy, tired, as if he was exhausted from carrying a large load for a very long time—a load like Roxas.

His tears slowly crystalized as they slid down the frosted glass. Maybe it was time to let things go. As much as he wanted to rush upstairs and beg Axel for another chance, it had been so long since they worked. When they had first moved in together they were like newly weds. They could hardly get each other's clothes off fast enough. When flesh wasn't touching flesh in some way it had felt so wrong, so hollow. It was as if without each other they were nobodies.

Now they barely talked. Their bed was always cold, their backs to each other, and Roxas usually spent his evenings alone whilst Axel worked in the den. How he wished he had tried to coax Axel away from his paperwork one of those nights. Maybe if he had he could have rekindled their love and they could have made it work.

Roxas looked up at the ceiling. He had been with Axel for so long, how could he possibly live without him? He didn't want Axel to leave! A love like theirs could last forever. It would! They could make it work. He stood, but then paused when he heard Axel coming down the stairs. Axel stopped at the bottom of the stairs, his bags in hand.

Looking at Axel, Roxas' heart shattered a little more. Maybe it was time to let go. With one look he could tell that Axel was hurting just as much as he was, it was foolish to pretend otherwise.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never earn Axel's forgiveness and he would always be worried of Axel's affections fading again. That's why he had done it. It had been so easy to fall into Riku's arms. He had felt so unloved, uncared for, and unwanted. Roxas loved him so much, but Axel was always working. They never went out anymore or even stayed in together. Their sex life was practically nonexistent, and when they did make love Axel would often go back to work afterwards. There always seemed to be a door between them.

Then his coworker, Riku, had asked him to go with him to a cousin's wedding—just as friends. Roxas had asked Axel if he would mind, but he hadn't even paid attention! Roxas couldn't even remember the last time Axel noticed him, but he had noticed the hickey on Roxas' collarbone Sunday night during dinner.

"Reno's going to be here in a bit," Axel said with a sigh. He couldn't look at Roxas; it hurt too much. He knew what he'd see if he did: beautiful, blue eyes, puffy and red from crying, and a split bottom lip, bruised from worrying it. He knew Roxas so well, he loved him deeply, but he had never imagined that Roxas would be capable of betrayal.

"Okay."

Axel closed his eyes. Roxas' voice was so small and vulnerable.

Why did things have to happen like this? He could have tried harder. If only he had known what Roxas had been going through. Their childhood friend, Demyx's, death had been hard on both of them and they had both dealt with it differently. Axel had closed off and worked harder. Life was too short, Demyx had proven that, and Axel had so much he wanted to achieve. Problem was, in trying to adjust to Demyx's death, he had done the exact opposite of what Roxas needed.

After taking a deep breath, Axel said, "You don't have to be here."

Silence followed. Axel could feel the awkward tension thickening between them. It made his stomach twist and knot up. He couldn't handle it. After tossing his duffle bag on the floor by the door, he headed back upstairs for more of his things.

"I love you," Roxas said, his voice on the verge of breaking.

Axel stopped halfway up the stairs. "I love you too."

"Maybe we could make this work. Just stay and-"

"It's not enough." Axel continued up the stairs for the rest of his things.

* * *

AN: So this started off as the OneShot RevolutionaryVenom won for guessing the professor correctly in _Demyx's Valentines Letters_. It was inspired by Emeli Sandé's song "Maybe" off of the album _Our Version of Events_. However, I'm now inspired to write a complete fiction, so this is just a prologue. I'm not entire sure of what to do just yet, only that it will be a few years later. Suggestions are welcome!

DFTBA


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